A young man’s dream came to spotlight nine years later.

FEATURE
By Sanu Akingbola

In November 2005, an aspiring 13-year-old goalkeeper was one of 80,000 fans on hand in Sydney as Mark Schwarzer’s penalty shoot-out heroics helped Australia finally end their 32-year FIFA World Cup™ drought. Fast forward just two World Cup cycles and Mat Ryan has taken the leap from dreamy teenager to actually filling the significant void left by his childhood hero. Ryan might be light on experience but he is big on both talent and heart, two characteristics that will come in handy as he defends

Australia’s goal in Brazil against the likes of Robin van Persie and Alexis Sanchez.

It is major task for the now 22-year-old Ryan, who was just one-year old when Schwarzer made his Australia debut back in July 1993. Thoughtful and quietly spoken, Ryan is not one of the larger-than-life characters occasionally found in the goalkeeping trade. However, he lacks little when it comes to work ethic or spirit. The keeper speaks with refreshing humility, unsurprisingly so given he voluntarily chose to live in a caravan for a period of his A-League career.

Ryan’s A-League debut was marked by a fumble which cost Central Coast Mariners a win. Yet the then 18-year-old remained unfazed with what has since become trademark equanimity. He kept his spot and ultimately won the national league’s Young Player of the Year in consecutive seasons, a rare feat also achieved by Socceroo great Mark Viduka two decades ago.

A 1-1 draw against Korea DPR in December 2012 saw Ryan made his international debut during a season that saw him play an integral part as the Mariners claimed their maiden crown. He subsequently secured a move to Belgium’s Club Brugge where his form was both instantaneous and consistent. And the Belgium Pro League Goalkeeper of the Year award was recently added to an already burgeoning trophy collection, after he helped Brugge come close to a first title in nine years.

Culled from fifa.com

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